


Playing For Keeps

by USWNT18



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-03
Updated: 2014-11-26
Packaged: 2018-02-06 06:16:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1847494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/USWNT18/pseuds/USWNT18
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>High school is a strange place. You learn, you grow, and everyone you meet influences the person you will be in the future.  When Alexandra Krieger, the head cheerleader of the Westland High School, walked into school the first day of her sophomore year, she had no idea her entire world was about to change. But in reality, do we ever anticipate change?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fan fiction, so feedback is greatly appreciated. Also, a shoutout and big thank you to NerdyBlatina for editing and helping me with this. Thank you so much!

 

High school is a strange place. You learn, you grow, and everyone you meet influences the person you will be in the future.  When Alexandra Krieger, the head cheerleader of the Westland High School, walked into school the first day of her sophomore year, she had no idea her entire world was about to change. But in reality, do we ever anticipate change?

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“Oh my god! Ali, over here!”

Ali quickly walked over to her best friend, who was screaming her name like they hadn’t seen each other less than 24 hours ago.

“Ali, babe, I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever!”

“Blaire, we saw each other yesterday,” Ali chuckled.

Blaire was Ali’s best friend of four years and fellow cheerleader. She had long dirty blonde hair that was always pulled tightly into a ponytail and light green eyes. Unlike Ali, she was all bone and barely had any muscle on her body. The pair had met in middle school and had been inseparable ever since.

“I know, but that seems like forever ago! Anyways, have you seen the new girl yet? I heard she’s some soccer star and that Coach Hudgens practically begged for her to come play goalkeeper for the school.

“It’s the first day, and you already know who she is? Please tell me you didn’t stalk this girl or something.”

“You wish, Krieger.”

As soon as she opened her mouth to respond, the bell rang. “Better get to class, Blaire. You don’t want to fail physics for the second time."

Blaire feigned hurt and held her hand over her heart, but turned to walk to class anyways. Ali ran to grab her notebook from her locker. That’s when she saw a girl walk through Westland’s front doors in soccer training gear. As the girl walked by, Ali glanced over her shoulder and her mouth dropped down in awe. She was tall with long blonde hair and tattoos covering her left arm.

_Damn_ , Ali thought. _She’s hot._  

The blonde walked towards a group of girls wearing the same outfit, and soon joined in laughing with the other players. Her laugh rang out, and chills ran down Ali’s sides. 

_Her laugh is absolutely amazing. And oh my god, that dimple. I swear…_

Suddenly, the bell rung again, snapping Ali from her thoughts, and she slammed her locker shut before sprinting off to class. 

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After class ended, Ali made a beeline for Blaire’s locker.

“I saw her.” Ali whispered.

“Who are you talking about and why are you whispering?”

“The new girl. She walked past me on the way to class.”

“And?”  Blaire asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

“And, uh, nothing. “ Ali stuttered. “I just thought you should know that I saw her.”

“Um, okay. I have to get to science but you’ll sit with me at lunch right?

“Blaire,” Ali groaned, “of course I’m sitting with you. We’ve sat in the same spot every day for four years.”

“Right. Well, you seem so interested in the new girl that I thought you would want to sit with her or something. See you at lunch.” Blaire yelled over her shoulder.

For a moment, Ali just stood there in confusion. What did her best friend mean when she said Ali seemed “interested” in the new girl? Sure, she was curious about who this girl was, but was there more to it? Was Ali attracted to her? She had been attracted to other girls in the past, but this was different.

_Snap out of it Ali. Blaire is just messing with you. You’re just curious about this girl, not attracted to her._

A slamming locker shook Ali from her inner monologue, and she hurried off to class. Even though Ali tried to convince herself that the soccer player didn’t intrigue her, she spent the entire class dreaming about the girl for the second time that day. 


	2. Chapter 2

When classes let out for lunch, Ali walked to the wall that overlooked the Westland Wildcats’ s soccer stadium. She and Blaire had eaten lunch on this wall ever since they discovered it by accident four years ago. To Ali, it provided a place to clear her thoughts, and boy did she need to clear them today.

Usually no one practiced in the stadium during lunch, but as Ali walked up to her spot, she saw two people running drills on the field. She leaned over the edge to get a closer look at the people below her and suddenly, it hit her. The girl running drills on the field was none other than the girl that had invaded her thoughts for the entire day.

“Ali! You will never believe what I got on my physics exam!” Blaire bellowed as she walked towards her friend.

“B, be quiet! People are training on the field right now.”

“Like they can hear me.”

The girls sat quietly watching the girl as she ran through ladders and blocked shots from her trainer. Ali had played soccer for years before finally switching to cheerleading, so she knew that playing goalkeeper was no easy task, but the keeper moved and caught every ball with ease.

_No wonder they wanted her. She’s absolutely amazing._

Ali had her eyes trained on the goalie so intensely that Blaire had to smack Ali’s arm several times to get her attention.

“She’s pretty good isn’t she? I heard she played for the national team. Her name is Ashlyn by the way. Ashlyn Harris.”

“She’s amazing. Absolutely amazing,” Ali sighed. Then, realizing what she had just said, tried to recover, “I mean, she’s a really good player from what I can see.” Ali moved her gaze to the ground in hope that Blaire didn’t notice her blushing.

“Agreed,” Blaire replied, completely unaware of what Ali had said. Unless it concerned her, Blaire never paid much attention to what other people said, and Ali was no exception.

“When did she move here?” Ali asked, curious to learn more about Ashlyn.

“This past summer. I heard she’s had a pretty rough year with family and everything.”

“Huh. Does she have a lot of friends here?”

“She hangs out with Tobin, Alex, Kelley, Christen, Hope, Sydney, Kristie, and the rest of the soccer clique. Why? Trying to replace me with the new girl, Ali?

“No. No, of course not. I just wondered if she had made any friends here.” Ali responded. _But I’d really like to get to know her,_ she thought.

“Well, it’s not like you could be friends with her anyways. We cheerleaders don’t associate with the soccer players, and you know that. Most of them dress like guys. And, did you know that half of that team is paired off with each other? It’s not right.” Blaire continued. 

“It isn’t our business who they date. But, don’t be so quick the judge them. We don’t even know them.” _If only you knew how I really felt. Would you judge me just like you judge them?_ Ali wondered. She was trying to keep from starting an argument with Blaire, but it didn’t make sense how her friend was so close-minded. Ali herself wasn’t gay, but her brother was, and she’d had her fair share of attractions towards other girls. _Girls like Ashlyn,_ she thought.

“Whatever, Ali. They know their place in the school and we know ours. I have to get to class. Talk to you later. 

Blaire stomped off, clearly upset with how Ali had responded, but Ali didn’t care.

_If she wants to be mad at me, fine, but at least I’m not as judgmental as she is._

Ali began to pack up and head back to class, but she couldn’t stop thinking about what Blaire had said. “They know their place in the school and we know ours.” For four years now, Ali had been so content with how she was viewed and how she portrayed herself, but after today, she wasn’t so sure.

_Maybe I don’t want to be the stereotypical head cheerleader. Maybe I want to be someone completely different._

Ali couldn’t help thinking about how different her life might be if she had continued with soccer or at least never joined the cheerleading squad. Sure, that would mean she would never had met Blaire, but her best friend was clearly not who Ali thought she was. Ashlyn Harris had changed Ali’s whole world, and Ali hadn’t even officially met her yet.

_I’ve got to talk to this girl. I have to make her know who I am._

With that final thought, the back door slammed behind her, and Ali walked to class with a smile on her face. Ali had fallen for Ashlyn Harris; she just didn’t know it yet. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is short, but the chapters will get longer as the story progresses.


	3. Chapter 3

When Ali walked into history class for seventh period a few days later, her heart leapt from her chest, and she stopped dead in her tracks. Ashlyn Harris, the very girl that she had vowed to make herself known to, was sitting at a desk chatting with a group of girls on the soccer team. Basically the entire team was in her class.

_Calm down._ Ali told herself. _Just be cool. Introduce yourself. God, she’s even more breathtaking up close._

“Alexandra?” Mrs. Lewis asked, “Alexandra, are you okay?

Her teacher’s voice startled Ali, and she was brought back to reality. “Uh, yes?”

“Are you okay, dear?”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“Well, when you walked into the classroom, your face paled like you had seen a ghost, and you’ve been standing in the exact same spot for a few minutes now.”

“Oh, sorry, Mrs. Lewis. I guess I just zoned out. It’s been a crazy day so far.” Ali responded nervously.

Mrs. Lewis chuckled before replying. “Oh I’m sure. Go ahead and take your seat, Alexandra.

“It’s Ali actually.” Ali mumbled while walking towards a seat near the window. When she sat down, she looked up to find Ashlyn looking at her inquisitively.

_Great. I’ve been in her presence for less than ten minutes, and I’ve already made myself look like a fool. Really great job, Ali. What happened to being cool?_

For the second time that day, Mrs. Lewis’s strong voice shook Ali from her thoughts. “Rather than lecture you for the next few weeks about history, I have decided to start you all off with a project. I will pass out a sheet with all the information about the project, and before you all run to pair up with your best friends, I have already paired you up. Tobin, will you pass out the instructions, please?”

“I would be happy to.” Tobin replied as she stood to take the pieces of paper from the teacher.

While Tobin handed the project guidelines out to everyone, Ali was silently praying that she wasn’t partnered with Ashlyn. Ali, of course, wanted to get to know everything about the new girl, but she was afraid that she would only make a bigger idiot of herself.  Tobin took her seat, and Ali held her breath as Mrs. Lewis spoke.

“Okay, I will now announce your partners. I tried to pair you up with someone I thought you would enjoy working with, so no groaning if you don’t like your partner. Tobin Heath and Alexandra Morgan, Sydney Leroux and Kristen Mewis, Morgan Brian and Christen Press, Kelley O’hara and Hope Solo, Emma Johnson and Matthew Taylor, Elizabeth Marks and Parker Bennett, and Alexandra Krieger and Ashlyn Harris.”

When Ali heard that she had been assigned to work with Ashlyn, she let out a small groan and almost every head in the class turned to look at her, including Ashlyn.

_Damn, Ali. Strike two. Want to go for the trifecta?_

“Everyone go introduce yourself to your partner and get to know them. You will start discussing what topic you want to research next class.” Little did she know she had basically just paired up all the couples. Everyone was with their girlfriend or boyfriend, except for Ali and Ashlyn.

Ashlyn slowly stood and sauntered over to wear Ali was sitting, a small smile on her face.

“I’m sorry you weren’t partnered with who you wanted, but I assure you I’m not that bad.” Ashlyn said as she took the seat to the right of Ali.

“No I wasn’t groaning because I didn’t want to be partners with you, I- I have, um, no idea why I did that.” Ali stammered. The butterflies in her stomach were only getting worse, and her heart was racing.

_Pull it together Ali. She’s just a girl. An unbelievably gorgeous girl, but a girl all the same._

“Just, I’m Ali. Ali Krieger.” Ali spoke slowly as she reached her hand out to shake Ashlyn’s.

“Ashlyn Harris. It is a pleasure to meet you, Alexandra.” Ashlyn said as she shook Ali’s extended hand gently. The second Ali’s hand touched Ashlyn’s, a rush of electricity shot through Ali’s body.

“It’s Ali actually.” Ali mumbled. 

“Well Ali, legally your name is Alexandra, therefore I’m going to call you that.” Ashlyn smirked.

Ali never let anyone call her Alexandra except for her parents. It was almost a sacred right that people had to earn to be allowed to call her that and she had never wanted anyone except for family to call her Alexandra, until now.

“Fine.” Ali huffed. “So, what’s your story? Where did you live before California?" 

“I grew up in Florida, but I spent the last five years in Texas, Tennessee, and most recently Georgia. I play soccer and my older brother, Chris, plays football. He’s a senior here.”

“Has anyone told you that you have a Southern accent? Because you do.”

Ashlyn laughed. “I have been told that, yes. So, what is your story miss Krieger?”

“I’ve lived in Westland my entire life. I also have a brother, Kyle, who is a senior here. I used to play soccer, but now I’m head cheerleader. “

“Head cheerleader, huh? Aren’t cheerleaders and female athletes like me supposed to be mortal enemies or something?”

“You know, that’s what I’ve heard, but I don’t really roll that way. My best friend, Blaire, is basically that stereotypical cheerleader that you described, but I’ve never been like that. And I never will be.”

Ashlyn’s grin grew, and Ali swore that she would do anything to be the reason behind Ashlyn’s smile.  “I’m glad, Alexandra. I like you, so it would suck to have to hate you.”

Right as Ali was about to respond, the bell rung signifying the end of school, and Ashlyn stood to leave.

“It was nice meeting you, Alexandra. I’ll see you next class.” And with one final smile, Ashlyn grabbed her binder and exited the classroom.

Ali just sat in her seat trying to recover from what just happened.

_She likes me._ Ali thought. _I didn’t screw that whole thing up. God, she’s amazing. I swear I’d jump off a bridge if she asked me to. I’d do anything she asked me to._

Never in Ali’s life had she been so excited to go to school. She exited Westland’s doors on cloud nine and spent every moment until she fell asleep that night dreaming about the hazel-eyed goalkeeper in her history class.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any and all feedback is appreciated!


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is chapter four. So, my best friend was given plane tickets as a early graduation present and now we are both traveling to Europe tomorrow for two and a half weeks. With that being said, I will try to continue to update the story weekly as I have been doing, but it might be a day or two later. I am not sure if I will have internet or even when I will be online to update or check stories. I will do my very best while in Europe, but I'm sorry if I don't add a chapter as quickly. On a different note, this chapter is mainly dialogue, but was needed to speed up their relationship a little bit.

Ali woke up two hours earlier than normal to get ready for school. Usually, she threw her hair up in a quick ponytail and wore a minimal amount of makeup, but today was an exception. Today, she would see Ashlyn. Ali had only held a conversation with the girl once, but she desperately wanted to impress her. 

“Alexandra, honey, why are you up so early?” Ali’s mother’s voice rang from behind her closed bedroom door.

“Just getting ready for school, mom.” Ali replied.

“You don’t have to leave for another two hours. Do you have a game tonight?”

“No, mom. Football season doesn’t start for another three months.”

“Okay. I’m making dinner tonight since you don’t have practice, so please be home by six. You can invite Blaire if you want.” Ali’s mother yelled as she walked away.

“Sure, mom. I’ll talk to her.” Ali responded.

Ali hadn’t talked to Blaire since their fight by the stadium the other day. She was still upset about what Blaire said about Ashlyn, but the pair always made up quickly after they fought, so Ali was sure they would be fine by the end of the day. Realizing that she had wasted the past 15 minutes talking to her mother and thinking about the fight, Ali redirected her focus on making herself look perfect for Ashlyn.

_I hope she notices me. I hope she realizes how much I like her._

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When Ali pulled up to Westland High School, it was hour and a half before school started. She climbed out of her car and walked over to the wall overlooking the field. While gazing over the stadium, she thought about Blaire, cheerleading, and more importantly, about Ashlyn.

_What am I doing? I spent two hours getting ready to impress a girl that I hardly know. Do I like her? Am I even gay? I don’t even know who I am anymore._

Ali was so lost in her thoughts that she didn’t hear a car door shut behind her.

“Gorgeous, isn’t it?”

Ali jumped, startled at the voice. She turned around to yell at whoever had snuck up on her, but her expression immediately softened when she realized who it was.

_Ashlyn._

“God, Ashlyn, you scared me! Didn’t they teach you not to sneak up on people in Georgia?” Ali asked, still trying to catch her breath.

“I’m sure they would’ve if there were enough people in the town to sneak up on.” Ashlyn responded as she sat down on the wall next to Ali.

“Small town?” Ali questioned.

“I lived in Darien. There were barely 2,000 people. I’d say I got my southern charm from Georgia, but I loved Florida the most. My grandmother still lives there, and I try to visit as often as I can, but it’s hard to do.”

“I get it. California is pretty far from Florida. “

The pair sat in silence for a minute, just enjoying each other’s company and the serenity that the field provided. It was Ashlyn who broke the silence first.

“So, what brings you out here on this fine Friday morning? Ashlyn said with a dimpled smile.

“I could ask you the same thing, Harris.”

“And I would tell you, Krieger. But I asked first.”

“Fine. I just couldn’t sleep last night and I woke up extremely early this morning, so I thought I would come out here to try and clear my head a little bit. And why are you here?”

“I like running on the field before everyone gets here. I have to run anyway to stay in shape, but it’s nice to run in the quiet sometimes. It provides a good peace of mind I guess. You should join me.”

“Uh, I’m wearing boots and a skirt. Not really running attire.” Ali jokingly responded.

“Well, Alexandra, you’re in luck because I have extra workout clothes.” Ashlyn said, reaching her hand out to help Ali up.

“Ashlyn, my hair.”

Ashlyn laughed. “Don’t worry Princess, your hair looks great no matter what. Now let’s go!” Ashlyn yelled as she ran into the locker room.

Ali blushed and was glad Ashlyn turned away before she could see Ali’s face.

_Was she flirting with me? No, we’re just friends. God, why did I agree to run? I haven’t ran since I played soccer. Please let me still be in shape._

When Ali walked into the locker room, Ashlyn had already changed into running gear and was checking her messages on her phone. Ali cleared her throat and the blonde looked up at her with a grin.

“Here. They should fit, but the shoes might be a little big.” Ashlyn handed her the clothes before walking out of the room.

Ali quickly changed and put her hair up.

_The clothes smell like her cologne. And I definitely wouldn’t mind wearing her clothes all the time._

With that final thought, Ali walked onto the field to find Ashlyn stretching.

“See, I told you your hair would still look perfect.”

“Whatever.” Ali replied, trying to hide how red her cheeks were.

Ashlyn walked over and gestured to the field. “Ready to go?” she asked.

“As ready as I’ll ever be. Go easy on me. It’s been a while since I ran.”

“I’m not worried. You look like you’re in great shape.” Ashlyn said as she eyed Ali up and down then broke into a jog.

Ali stood frozen in her place, analyzing what Ashlyn had just said before running after her. The pair ran together without speaking for a while. It wasn’t an awkward silence, just silence. To Ali, it felt comfortable. She felt safe around Ashlyn.

_She has that effect on everyone._ Ali tried to reassure herself. 

After many laps around the field, other students began to arrive, and Ashlyn’s pace slowed.

“We should probably call it quits for today. How are you feeling?” Ashlyn asked.

“I’m fine. It was nice to run again.”

“I told you you were in great shape. Maybe you should think about playing again. I’m sure you are still as good as you were before.”

“Who said I was good?” Ali asked, raising an eyebrow at Ashlyn.

“No- No one said you were good, I just, I just thought because, because… you’re in such great shape, you know, and…” Ashlyn stammered while rubbing her hand on the back of her neck nervously.

_She’s adorable._ Ali thought. _But why is she stuttering? Do I make her nervous?_

As much as Ali enjoyed seeing the effect she had on Ashlyn, she decided to save the girl from her rambling.

She cut off Ashlyn’s stammering with a laugh. “You’re intuition was right. I was pretty good, but I doubt I am at your level.”

Ashlyn’s entire demeanor changed after Ali cut her off. “Don’t say that, Ali. I’m sure you’re amazing at soccer. You seem amazing in general “ Ashlyn mumbled that last part under her breath, but Ali heard it. Ali’s heart swelled and raced, and she tried to hide her red face.

Neither of them said anything, and the silence turned awkward.

“Um, we should probably head to class.” Ashlyn said, breaking the silence.

“Yeah. You’re right.” Ali replied.

“Sit next to me in history?” Ashlyn asked, her voice sounding nervous again.

“Of course. See you later, Ash.”

Ashlyn grabbed her phone and began to walk away. She was half way to the school before Ali realized she was still in Ashlyn’s clothes.

“Wait, Ashlyn! What about your clothes?” Ali yelled.

Ashlyn turned around and even from a distance, Ali could see the smile that spread across her face. “Keep them. They look much better on you anyway!”

Ali smiled and then sat on the bench to think about everything that had happened that morning.

_There’s something there._ _I like her. Not in a friend way, but in an ‘I want to kiss you’ way. What the hell is going on? Oh my god, I have a crush on Ashlyn Harris. And more importantly, does she like me? And what does it mean if she likes me? And what if she doesn’t like me? God this is such a mess. I mean she was flirting with me, so maybe she likes me too. I have to make a move on her to be sure._

_History._ Ali thought. _I’ll ask her to come over in history._

Ali walked off the pitch with a plan. She could only hope it worked out the way she wanted it to.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it has been forever- I'm sorry! Europe is absolutely amazing! I think I've fallen in love with Paris and am crying because I'm leaving tomorrow. Sigh. Well, I'm sorry I haven't updated, I couldn't get service for my laptop. And as suggested, I did try to steal wifi but apparently that's frowned upon. Well, here's chapter 5. The drama should start soon, just a few more chapter to develop their relationship and then the dramatics of high school begin to interfere.*hint, the angst is real but it'll be good* I'll try to be better about updating and hope you are having a great end of summer. Going back to school sucks, but senior year is going to be amazing. Until next time.

Ali was a bundle of nerves when she walked into history class. She had a plan to ask Ashlyn to hang out, as a friend to start, but she was beyond scared that Ashlyn would say no. In fact, she said a small prayer as she walked into the classroom and took her seat by the window.

_Hey God. I know I don’t really pray often, but if you could help me out right now, I would be really grateful. Just let her say yes. It’ll kill me if she turns me down. I really, really like her, so please help me out here. Thank you. Amen._

Ali slowly opened her eyes and looked up to find Ashlyn hugging Tobin Heath. Both girls played on the soccer team, and everyone in the school knew how talented Tobin was. The brunette had been scouted to the national team along with Ashlyn and a few other girls. Tobin’s shoulders were shaking and small sobs escaped her lips while Ashlyn held her tightly and rubbed her back.

Mrs. Lewis walked towards the girls and lightly placed her hand on Ashlyn’s shoulder to tell her that class was starting. Tobin and Ashlyn broke their embrace, and Ashlyn wiped the tears on Tobin’s cheeks with the pads of her thumbs. She quickly kissed Tobin’s forehead before turning around and walking to take her seat next to Ali.

_I’ll have to ask Ashlyn about it later._ Ali thought as Mrs. Lewis started today’s discussion.

Half way into class, Mrs. Lewis finished her lecture and told everyone to get back in his or her pairs to work on the project they had been assigned last class.

Ashlyn scooted her chair closer to Ali and pulled out her laptop.

“So, what topic do you want to do?” Ali questioned.

“Uh, well I was thinking maybe we could research California or Florida’s history and then we can drive to all the old towns to get information, photos, and first hand experience.

“I like the idea, but how would we road trip to all the old towns in Florida? If you didn’t notice, we live in California, Ashlyn.” Ali said with a confused smile on her face.

“I was hoping to take you to Florida sometime.” Ashlyn mumbled, looking at the floor instead of Ali.

“Huh?” Ali asked. She placed her hand on Ashlyn’s knee to get the girl to look at her.

Feeling Ali’s hand on her knee sent a wave of confidence through Ashlyn and she repeated what she had said before, just loud enough for Ali to actually hear her.

“I was hoping you would come to Florida with me some time.” Ashlyn said, looking directly into Ali’s eyes. Unfortunately, Ali’s eyes gave Ashlyn nothing and she could feel the butterflies returning to her stomach.

Even though Ali hadn’t known Ashlyn for long, she had a strong connection with the girl, so she could sense how nervous Ashlyn was.

_I make her nervous. What does that mean? Does she like me? Maybe, I actually have a chance._

 Trying to calm Ashlyn down a little bit, she pulled the girl into her

“I would love to go to Florida with you!” Ali exclaimed, her arms wrapped around Ashlyn’s neck. Ashlyn sat rigid, completely shocked with how close Ali was but quickly relaxed and wrapped her arms around Ali’s waist.

They held each other like that for a little longer than a friendly, and both of them knew that, but neither wanted to move. Eventually, Ali pulled away and sighed, immediately missing the electricity that shot up her body from being so close to Ashlyn.

_I’ve got to do that again. Damn, I can’t be the only one feeling this. She has to feel it to._

Ali was lost in her thoughts, and Ashlyn’s eyes were glued to the floor. Ashlyn was afraid that if she looked into Ali’s brown eyes, she would tell Ali about the feelings she had been harboring since they met last class.

_A week._ Ashlyn thought. _A week was all it took for me to fall head over heels for this girl. This is so not like me. I’m different with her. I can forget everything that has happened. She feels safe, and I like it. I like her. Should I tell her? No, she’s straight. God, Ashlyn, what have you gotten yourself into?_

It was Ali who finally looked up. She could see how nervous Ashlyn was. It was a completely different side of the usually confident and slightly cocky goalkeeper. Ali decided to speak first to end the awkward silence.

“So, when are you planning to take me to Florida, Ashy?” Maybe Ali was trying too hard, but she wanted Ashlyn to be comfortable with her.

Ashlyn laughed at her new nickname. “When is our next break?” she asked, slowly regaining her composure.

“Two weeks. We have this four-day break that’s completely pointless, but it’s a break.”

“We should go then. The project won’t be over and two weeks is enough time for us to plan out where we should go and stuff. We can visit any town you want, but you have to promise me that we can go to my grandma’s house in Satellite Beach.” Ashlyn stated, a small smile spreading across her face.

“That sounds perfect! I can’t wait!” Ali squealed.

“Calm down, Princess.” Ashlyn laughed.

“We have to start researching now!” Ali exclaimed, grabbing her laptop. Ali began typing away and all Ashlyn could do was stare with adoration.

_She’s perfect. Thank god she wanted to go with me. I don’t know what I would’ve done if she had rejected the trip._ Ashlyn thought. A shriek from Ali and a tug at her shirt tore her from Ashlyn thoughts.

“Ashlyn, we HAVE to go here. The town looks so cute!” Ali yelled, pointing at her computer screen. Ashlyn leaned closer and placed her arm around Ali’s shoulders. She chuckled at Ali’s excitement and Ali tried to keep her breathing steady.

_Her arm around me feels right. Like I want to be in her arms for forever._

The pair spent the remainder of class looking at historical towns near Satellite Beach and Ashlyn’s arm never moved from its position on Ali’s shoulders. When the bell rang, Ashlyn stood to grab her stuff, but Ali grabbed her wrist before she could move any further.

“Hey, I wanted to ask you something.”

“And what is it you wanted to ask me, Alexandra?”

“Would you like to come over after school? You can stay for diner and we can work on the project. Plus, you are going to have to convince my family to let me go.” Ali winked and looked at Ashlyn with hopeful eyes.

“I would love to. And trust me, your family will let you go. They can’t say no to this hotness.” Ashlyn gestured to her body and winked back at Ali .

“Oh, I’m sure. Here’s my address and phone number.” Ali said as she handed Ashlyn a slip of paper. “See you later, Ash.” Ali stood, wrapped her arms around Ashlyn’s waist in a quick hug and exited the classroom.

Both girls’ minds were spinning at 1,000 miles an hour. They were both thinking a million different thoughts, but one was shared between them.

_I’ve got to make her mine._

They wanted the same thing, but neither knew how complicated their relationship would get. They were supposed to be opposites, like a negative and a positive. But when a positive and a negative touch, a spark is created and sometimes, a spark can lead to an explosion of epic proportions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ending is telling, just a few more chapter before you understand ;)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like everyone on here deserves an explanation for my extremely long absence, so here it is. I hadn't posted for a few weeks because I was finishing college applications, getting reply letters, and that was insanely stressful. Fortunately, I was accepted to the school I have always wanted to go to, so everything was going well. If you read my notes from previous chapters, I mentioned how I went to Europe with my best friend. That best friend, Kelly, has been my best friend since I was five years old. On October 18th, Kelly fainted at school while we were walking to my car to leave for off-campus lunch and was rushed to the hospital. On October 24th, Kelly was diagnosed with osteosarcoma. She had emergency surgery to remove the tumor and started chemo. A bone marrow donor was needed, and her donor was me. I gave marrow and everything was looking up, but more masses appeared and the surgeries increased. Kelly was the one that told me to write a story and combine two things I am passionate about: soccer and literature. Because of all of this, I haven't felt up to writing or in all honesty, doing anything. I am going to try and ease myself back into it, but I can't promise a full return. Right now, I feel like I need to be focused on her and fighting this horrible disease. SO, thank you for supporting me, reading my writing, and understanding. You will never know how much I appreciate it.

_An hour! I have an hour to make sure that everything is perfect for Ashlyn. I’ve got to clean my room. Hell, I’ve got to clean the whole house. God, why didn’t I think of how unprepared I am before I invited her?_ Ali thought, running around the house with a broom. 

As a perfectionist, things normally had to be perfect or Ali would freak, but things had to be more than perfect for Ashlyn. Ali had been sliding around her house in socks trying to clean EVERYTHING. All she had left was her room and bathroom, but that was even more stressful because that’s where she and Ashlyn would be spending the most time. And she still had to pick out an outfit. Usually, she would text Blaire about this sort of thing, but the two weren’t really on speaking terms. 

_And she wouldn’t approve._

As terrible as it sounded, the brunette was right. Blaire would never accept her newfound friendship with Ashlyn. Blaire especially wouldn’t approve of the type of relationship Ali wanted to start with the keeper. Anything more than acquaintances, let alone making Ashlyn her girlfriend, would not be welcomed by her friends and family.

_Just stop thinking about that. Let whatever happens happen. I’ll deal with all of that when it reaches that point._

The alarm Ali set went off, alerting her that she had thirty minutes before Ashlyn arrived. She threw the broom in a nearby room and sprinted to her bedroom to get ready. Ali sat in her closet looking at all her clothes and finally decided on wearing short jean shorts, a black V-neck, and a pair of vans. After putting on her outfit and making sure it looked perfect, she headed to the bathroom to straighten her hair and put on makeup.

 _I can’t go overboard._ Ali thought. _Not enough makeup would make it seem like I don’t care and too much would make it look like I care too much. And my mom would notice._ Ali eventually decided to stick with a light, neutral approach to her makeup, and was adding the finishing touches when her phone buzzed with a text from Ashlyn.

**Ashlyn: On my way! If I’m not here in 10 minutes, call a search party. Navigating this town is freaking hard!**

**Ali: No, don’t get lost! I have no one to call if you go missing!**

**Ashlyn: Apparently you’re a smart girl- you’ll figure something out. By the way, where the hell is Gulf Shore Drive?**

**Ali: By the highway. And apparently you’re terrible with directions, but I’m sure you’ll figure something out. ;) Now stop texting me while you’re driving. Didn’t someone ever teach you driving safely?**

**Ashlyn: Oh, they tried, but I prefer to do things my own way. And all right, princess, I’ll put my phone up. See you soon!**

**Ali: I’ll be waiting. Drive carefully!**

Ali shut her phone off and waited eagerly for the doorbell to ring. After five minutes, it finally rang, and Ali almost tripped down the stairs trying to get to the door quickly.

“Oh, so you didn’t get lost.” Ali said, leaning against the doorframe.

Ashlyn laughed. “Surprisingly, no. Although, I did drive in a circle for five minutes before realizing I wasn’t going anywhere.”

“You would. Come on inside, and I’ll give you a tour.”

 “A tour of the princesses’ castle? I must be special.”

 “Whatever.” Ali replied as she shut the door.

 She led Ashlyn around the house, showing her every room.

 “And now, my room.” Ali opened her door and held her breath as Ashlyn walked in.

 Ali was nervous that Ashlyn wouldn’t like it, but Ashlyn absolutely loved her room. 

 _It’s so… her._ Ashlyn thought.

And it was. The white walls were clad in photos and awards. Ashlyn walked around the room, looking at every photo. She stopped of one of Ali in a soccer uniform, a trophy on her shoulder, and a gigantic grin on her face.

_She looks gorgeous. And you can see her little nose crinkle. Maybe I can convince her to play soccer again that way we could spend more time together. Seems like she was pretty good._

Ali walked up behind the blonde to see what photo she was mesmerized with.

_Huh. Out of all of them, she stops at the one of me playing soccer. Can she tell that I miss it? Snap out of it, Ali. That was a long time ago. You’re head cheerleader now. You don’t get to play soccer._

Ali finally decided to speak up.

 “That was right after my team won State Cup.”

 “You look happy. Really happy. Do you ever miss it?” Ashlyn asked, turning to face Ali with the photo in her hands.

 “Sometimes. You can keep the photo if you want.” Ali knew it sounded weird, but she wanted Ashlyn to have something to remember her by other than text messages and memories that can fade.

 “Really? Thank you, Alexandra.” Ashlyn said before pulling Ali into her. For the second time that day, the pair held each other longer than normal, but neither of them cared.

For Ali, it was the security of it. She felt safe in Ashlyn’s arms. Like she was home. Ali had been nonstop questioning herself, but when Ashlyn held her, it was like none of that mattered. All that mattered was the keeper.

As for Ashlyn, the proximity of Ali’s body to hers was enough to get her dizzy. Ali’s sweet perfume was intoxicating in a good way, and Ashlyn wouldn’t mind never letting go. It had been a tough couple of months for the blonde and she had at one point reached a point of depression that was so low she was put in the hospital on suicide watch, but with Ali’s arms around her waist, all the pain and sadness disappeared. It was just Ali.

Both girls would have preferred to never let go, but Ali’s mom burst through the door, and they jumped apart blushing.

“Oh Ali, sweetie, I didn’t realize you had company,” Ali’s mom stated as she stood in the doorway.

“I thought I told you I was having a friend over. Nevermind, mom this is Ashlyn. Ashlyn, this is my mom,” Ali said as she walked towards her mother with Ashlyn in tow.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am. I apologize that you were unaware that I was coming,” Ashlyn held her hand out to shake Mrs. Krieger’s and plastered a smile on her face.

Ali’s mother gently shook Ashlyn’s hand before replying. “Oh, don’t worry about it. Where are you from, Ashlyn? Not from California I presume.”

Ashlyn laughed. “Is my accent that bad? I’m from a lot of different places. I was born in Florida and lived there until I was 11, and then I moved to Texas and Tennessee for a year each and then Georgia for three years. My family moved to California this past summer.” 

“You seem very well traveled then. Why did your family move to California?”

“It was a combination of things. My father’s job was one reason and it was too hard to live in my town and house after my mom died. There were just too many memories, so my father, brother, and I decided to move. And my uncle lives in California, so we also wanted to be closer to him.” 

“Oh, Ashlyn, I’m so sorry. If you need anything, let me know,” Mrs. Krieger smiled genuinely. 

“Thank you,” Ashlyn responded. The two of them were so engrossed in their conversation that they failed to notice Ali standing in the background. Ali was staring at the ground, silently reflecting on all the pain Ashlyn must have felt in the past couple of months. 

 _That’s what Blaire meant when she said Ashlyn had a rough year with family._

Ali finally looked up from the floor and directed her gaze to Ashlyn. She had really only known the girl for a week and a half, but she felt closer to Ashlyn than she did with anyone else. It hurt her to think that Ashlyn had ever had to go through something as terrible as losing a parent. 

“Well,” Ali’s mom said. “I’ll leave you two girls alone. Ali, I will call when dinner is ready.”

“Okay, mom. Thank you,” Ali responded before shutting the door. “Hey, Ash. You okay?”

Ashlyn looked up from the ground and smiled weakly at Ali. “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just hard to talk about. Even after four months, I can’t talk about it.”

Ali shrugged before putting her arms around Ashlyn’s neck. “If it hurts, then we won’t talk about it.” 

Ashlyn locked her arms around Ali’s waist. “Thanks, Princess.”

The pair sat in Ali’s talking about school and soccer. It surprised Ali how easy it was to talk to Ashlyn. They bantered with each other and if you didn’t know better, you would’ve sworn the duo had been best friends for years.

 _It’s never this easy with Blaire and she’s supposed to be my best friend. My best friend that I haven’t spoken to in days._

Ashlyn was in the middle of telling Ali a story about this party when Ali’s mother knocked on the door.

“Hold on, Ash. Yeah, mom?” 

“Sorry to interrupt. There has been a change in plans. Ali, honey, your father is held up at the office and can’t make it home for dinner, so he wants to reschedule, and we aren’t going to do dinner tonight. I'll cook some other night,” Ali’s mom stated before closing the door.

“Okay, so what do you want to do now?” Ali turned to Ashlyn. 

“I want to show you something. Come on,” Ashlyn stood, took Ali’s hand, and led her out of her house to her jeep parked in Ali’s driveway.

“Where are we going,” Ali asked as she buckled her seatbelt.

“It’s a surprise, princess,” Ashlyn replied as she drove out of Ali’s neighborhood.

“You’re not taking me somewhere secluded so you can murder me or something right? Cause you won’t get away with it,” Ali joked. 

“No, I like you too much to kill you. Now, hush and enjoy the drive.” Ashlyn replied with a grin as she turned on the stereo.

They drove in silence listening to music until Ashlyn brought the car to a stop and hopped out.

_What in the world?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Seriously, thank you all.


End file.
